yes, i love you

And Happy Valentine's Day to all


Okay, I love you
I was sitting on the chair by the TV. He was sitting at one end of the couch, she at the other end. He avoided eye contact with me, although I could see his eyes straining to see me without turning his head. She was face front, staring me down.
He is good-looking with beautiful eyes that change from green to hazel. She is pretty, and has almond-shaped green eyes with yellow flecks.
At this moment, their attractiveness did not stop my being angry. I was getting tired of this scene.
"What’s the matter with you two?". My loud voice startled them and they jumped off the couch. "You know you aren’t supposed to be on the furniture. You guys get dog and cat hair all over."
He immediately went to the back door waiting to go out, still not looking at me. Dogs are like that when they get busted.
She, on the other hand, hi-tailed it under my bed. Because of a bed ruffle, I never know she’s there. She’s a sneaky one. Cats are like that.
Sundance, the yellow lab, and Nookers, the calico cat, are not mine. Or, they didn’t start out that way. Because of circumstance and family moves, (except for me who stays put) the cottage inherited them.
I am not the one in the family who just loves animals, and has to have a dog or two around. There was several years when the kids were growing up, we had three dogs at once.
I got so attached , when they were gone, I said, no more.
Several years ago when I moved to the cottage, the kids said, "Mom needs a dog so she won’t be lonely." I told them they dared not do that. I was not lonely and I did not want a dog. I figured I had paid my doggie dues..
So they did not get me a dog. They just kept bringing theirs to visit, to stay.
One thing I always insisted on was no cats. That didn’t work, either.
However, this calico is not a regular cat. She was a stray that my grandson gave to my son several years ago. She knows the ways of the outdoors.
Except when she got stuck under the neighbor’s crawlspace. I admit we worried when she was gone for three days.
So here I am, living with a dog and a cat who love to get on the furniture.
After I let Sundance in, and Nookers came out from her hiding place, .I collapsed into my chair. It had been a long day. All I wanted to do was watch some mindless TV. Now they both sat on Sundance’s pillow, this time both looking straight at me.
I looked straight at them. What a pair. "Okay, you two. I love you. But stay off of the furniture.!"
Boy, I need a hobby or something.
I guess that something will be to read one of my cookbooks. I got hooked on cookbooks a few years ago. For Christmas I received Maya Angelo’s book that is more than a cookbook. It is autobiographical, some history, and full of family recipes: hallelujah, the welcome table. (a lifetime of memories with recipes.)

Smoked Pork Chops
you will need:
4 large SMOKED pork chops
1 t oil
1 t butter
2 Granny Smith apples, diced
one 8 oz crushed pineapple, drained
1 t brown sugar
1/8 t each cinnamon and nutmeg
hot water
Place oil and chops in skillet
pour hot water over chops and simmer for 10 minutes
Remove chops, pat dry, and place in baking dish
In small pan, saute apples and add the rest of the ingredients
Cook until most of liquid is gone
Cover chops with mixture
Cover baking dish and bake for 20 minutes at 350
Uncover and bake for 20 minutes more.
Serve with mashed potatoes and fried cabbage.
A good ethnic meal. Enjoy.